Indonesia to Purchase Russian Oil, Pertamina to Follow Government Directives

Vice President of Corporate Communication at Pertamina, Muhammad Baron, stated that PT Pertamina (Persero) will follow the directives and regulations set by the government regarding Indonesia’s plan to purchase oil from Russia.

“At present, negotiations are still at the government level. As a state-owned enterprise managing national energy, Pertamina will proceed in accordance with the directives and regulations established,” Baron told ANTARA from Jakarta on Tuesday.

Furthermore, Baron indicated that Pertamina is fundamentally open to various cooperation opportunities to ensure the resilience and sustainability of national energy supplies.

In responding to such opportunities, Baron said Pertamina will prioritise principles of prudence, compliance, as well as commercial and operational aspects.

Regarding the compatibility of Russian crude oil specifications for processing at Pertamina’s refineries, Baron stated that it will be studied further.

“We will examine the type of crude in question. With refinery modernisation, Pertamina’s refineries are expected to have the flexibility to process various types of crude in the future,” Baron said.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia conveyed that the meeting between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed concrete energy cooperation oriented towards national interests.

Based on his official statement confirmed by ANTARA from Jakarta on Tuesday, the cooperation includes oil refinery development, strengthening oil trade, and enhancing energy technology utilisation.

“In the long term, Indonesia is also open to collaboration in the clean energy sector. This is an effort directed towards supporting energy diversification,” Bahlil said.

Global energy market volatility, which continues to face pressures, has impacted energy supply stability in many countries, including Indonesia.

To maintain national energy supply resilience, the government is continuously seeking strategic measures, one of which is through negotiations for cooperation with Russia as one of the world’s energy producers.